Wolfshadow
by Queriusole
Summary: Lupin Tonks, Moody, Black. Remus and Tonks have separate missions that lead them to the same place: his past. UPDATE! Ch 2 Lupin's legacy. UPDATE Ch 3 Moonrise. UPDATE CH 4 Hunt in the moonlight. COMPLETE!
1. Rainbows and Moonstones

Summary: Lupin Tonks, Moody, Black. Remus and Tonks have separate missions that lead them to the same place: his past.

Author Notes: Occurs during Order of the Phoenix at the beginning of the summer. This relies on the physical features of Lupin as presented in the PoA movie. Written Aug 24, 2004. Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. The story was written for the pleasure of playing with her characters.

**WOLFSHADOW**

_**RAINBOWS AND MOONSTONES**_

"Thanks for inspecting the Shrieking Shack, Mad-Eye. This one's on me," said Nymphadora Tonks as she walked beside Alastor Moody down Diagon Alley. Her hair looked like raspberry sherbet today and gave Moody ideas as they made their way to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

"You left it almost too clean, Tonks," admonished Moody as they took their seats and gave their order. Sirius Black had lured Tonks and Remus Lupin to the Shrieking Shack in order to get rid of any residuals that could have been used against Lupin through the Dark Arts. Moody had inspected the premises in the early morning. Now it was mid-afternoon.

Once the a chocolate sundae and raspberry sherbet, arrived, Moody waved his wand several times over his bowl as he asked Tonks, "How many times did you decontaminate?"

Tonks shifted in her seat at her mentor's query. They had a long running argument concerning being overly cautious. She swallowed a healthy spoonful of ice cream before admitting, "Six times, but the last two might have been overkill. It looks like your habits are rubbing off on me."

"It's about time. You always were too cocky for your own good." Moody prodded his scoop with his spoon rather suspiciously before he took a bite. Then with a sympathetic look, he added, "You have a formidable decontamination spell, Tonks. It must have been a bloody mess."

"The residuals were so old and deep." Tonks seemed to be lost in her thoughts as she continued. "I could feel an echo of the pain, Mad-Eye. I don't know how it must have been for Remus. He was just a boy when the worst of it happened. It took his friends three years before they became animagi and helped ease the transformations."

"Those boys knew how to stick together back then. Made good bouncing ferrets, too," said Moody as he sifted his spoon through his sherbet to create a raspberry mush.

Tonks quirked an eyebrow. "I'll have to get that story out of Remus when I see him next."

"That'll be a while, then," said Moody, now picking up the sherbet bowl to slurp loudly at the dregs.

Tonks looked up sharply. "What? Am I being sent out on assignment?"

Moody smacked his lips in satisfaction and replied, "I wouldn't know about that; I just know Lupin's off."

"He left without even telling me," muttered Tonks to herself. What had she expected, though? It's not as if he owed her any of his time.

"Lupin had to leave quickly. Dumbledore showed up at number twelve this morning just as I finished telling Lupin that all was clear at the Shrieking Shack. The Headmaster knew Sirius Black had been out again, but didn't want to disturb your work cleansing the residuals. He had a talk with Sirius, then another urgent talk with Lupin."

"But it's just a day until the full moon," said Tonks. "Won't it be dangerous for Remus?"

Instead of agreeing with her, Moody seemed to change the subject. "Has Remus talked to you about his special assignments?"

Tonks nodded while she licked her spoon of the last bit of chocolate. "Remus has been recruiting for the Order. He's contacted the ten families where he served as a private tutor. Only four would see him and he said one invited him to dinner only to curse him. I don't know how he puts up with it."

"Still, he did at least convince three families that trouble is here. But the lad hasn't told you what he was doing for the past year before he got involved full time with the Order, has he?"

"Well, he left his position at Hogwarts and then, and then..." Tonks frowned as she realized there was a gap to Lupin's activities during Harry's fourth year.

"Then I'm not the one to be telling you, either," said Moody. He stood up abruptly and said, "I've got to go, Tonks. Don't fret about Lupin. He has the Wolfsbane Potion and is as good as any Auror now on duty against the Dark Arts. You just pay attention to your guard duty tonight."

wwwwwwwwww

Remus Lupin walked off the train and breathed in the familiar salt air of his childhood. An afternoon shower had just finished, but the sun now poked through the clouds and produced a rainbow. Lupin stopped for a moment and just absorbed the colors.

He closed his eyes and thought of bright pink hair, sparkling eyes and wished she were there to taunt him. His departure probably wouldn't matter to her at this point. After all, she led a full life without him, but Lupin still felt regret that he hadn't said, "Goodbye, Nymphadora."

His long stride soon carried him to his destination. It was a small house nestled against the cliffs that would be missed by most people. But the wizard could easily distinguish the herringbone pattern of the stones that dated back to the Roman occupation of the island. He approached the facade and murmured the incantation. He could almost hear his father saying the words as he spoke them. "_Lupus domas._"

Lupin was relieved to find everything undisturbed here. The family home was small, but across the centuries, it was always neatly kept. It was a talent of the Lupin line to be meticulous, from the first Roman soldier who was his direct ancestor, to the last of his line, Remus John Lupin. He touched the outline of the wolf that was embossed into the mantle and again felt the irony of his life. The family name, the traditions, all reflected the other special talent of the Lupins: Wolf Hunters.

Lupin opened the ebony box that sat on the mantle just to make sure the other amulet was still there. The moonstone glistened on its silver chain. His hand went to his chest without thinking and felt the twin Wolfshadow amulet that he carried. He looked at the wall and saw the shadow of his wolf.

wwwwwwwww

Tonks showed up at number twelve Grimmauld Place too late to expect dinner, but she had another purpose to drop by this evening. She was hoping Sirius could give her more information about Lupin's whereabouts, but when she got there, all was chaos.

She stumbled on something squishy that still leapt away when she removed her foot. Her arm banged against the wall, setting off Mrs. Black's portrait. She saw Arthur race out of the drawing room to deal with the curtains as she called, "Sorry, Arthur."

Tonks flicked her wand to turn the leaping object into a pink feather boa that wafted gently until it landed on top of the mounted head of a house elf. After giving a satisfied nod to her work, she poked her head inside the drawing room to look for Sirius.

"Here comes another! Did you see the size of that one, Fred?" asked George as he monitored his brother Ron.

"Amazing that it can crawl up your throat, Ron," assured Fred as he patted his youngest brother on the back.

"I can't believe you'd do this to your own brother!" Hermione's voice rang with censure as Crookshanks batted something between his paws. "And I told you that testing their Forgetful Frogs wasn't worth the trouble, Ron!"

"Forgetting? What was I trying to forget?" asked Ron before another chocolate mint frog appeared out of his mouth and jumped into the bucket in front of him.

"Our visit to Mad--" Ginny was about to say Madam Puddifoot's, the teahouse they had visited in Hogsmeade so she could meet her boyfriend. Ron had been inspired to try anything to repress the memory other than an obliviate spell, hence the Forgetful Frogs.

"Hush, all of you. Not another word about it, do you understand?" admonished Molly Weasley as she waved her wand over the frogs to turn them into skeins of yarn. Waste not, want not.

"Er, Molly, is there anything I can do to help?" offered Tonks a bit bashfully.

"No, dear, we're fine. Sirius is in the kitchen if you want to see him. There are some sandwiches on the table, so help your--Catch that one, Ginny!"

uuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Tonks slinked into the kitchen in relief. "Wotcher, Sirius."

"Mmm." Sirius was propping his head on his hand as he picked at a sandwich.

"All right, Mister Gloom, what's your problem?" Tonks sat down and neatly stole the slice of cheese from his plate.

"I am not a child."

Tonks swallowed the cheese and went for a slice of meat. "Right then. Sirius Black is not a child regardless of how much he's sulking. Anything else?"

"I am not sulking."

Tonks nabbed a piece of lettuce this time and nibbled a moment before observing, "Are you not sulking because Dumbledore was upset with you or because he sent Remus off?"

"Hmf. I don't need that lanky, laconic, lycanthropic--"

"Aren't you going to run out of L's?" asked Tonks as she grabbed another slice of meat. "Just say it with me. Lu-pin."

"I don't need Lupin defending my actions to Dumbledore." Sirius grabbed the slice of meat out of Tonks' hand and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. "And quit eating my sandwich. You always were a nuisance as a child."

"And revenge was the only reason you kept coming back to babysit," observed Tonks as she deftly snatched a slice of bread and began trimming the crust. "So, where's Remus?"

"I can't say," responded Sirius as he removed the crust from the other slice of bread, "but the bloody fool won't take advice from me. No, Mister Professor thinks he doesn't need anyone's help. You'd think we proved to him that he can't do it all alone when we helped cleanse the Shrieking Shack? The self-sacrificing git!"

Now Tonks became alarmed. "What exactly do you mean by sacrifice?"

Sirius looked at her guiltily and responded, "I can't say."

"Ugh! You can be very annoying, Sirius Black."

"It runs in the family, Nymphadora Tonks."

Both cousins chewed miserably on the bread crusts. Tonks finally asked, "You'll let me know as soon as he's back?"

Sirius looked at his younger cousin. He never could say no when she used her puppy dog eyes. Reminded him of a Welsh corgi. "Yes, Tonks, I promise."

Even if he winds up at St. Mungo's, thought Sirius to himself.

wwwwwwwwww

The tall man stood on the cliffs with his robe whipping around him with the wind. He watched the lighthouse glowing in the sunset and smiled. "I wish you could see it, Tonks. Someday?"

But he admonished himself. "Now you're being a fool, Moony. Just get through tomorrow night. And quit talking to yourself or you'll end up like Kreacher!"

His next destination was not so pleasant. He approached another herringbone wall and made sure no one was watching. With a few quick taps of his wand, he entered the Arsenal. He tried to calm his breathing. The long spears, the wide axe, chain-link nets, these were all tools designed for the Wolf Hunt, but now carried dried blood.

Lupin touched the Wolfshadow amulet. The blood was not from a werewolf for his wolf shadow was the only one cast in the room. The ancient weapons had been used against humans, just as Dumbledore had expected. It was a violation of all that had been put into their creation.

It was times like these that Remus wished he were still capable of crying.

wwwwwwwwww

Nymphadora Tonks spent her evening of guard duty at the Ministry of Magic dreaming up new bylaws for Chocolate Lovers without Lovers, the private club she and Lupin shared, although most of them had negative repercussions for Lupin.

_The party of the first part, ie, Tonks, shall force the party of the second part, ie, Lupin, to listen to one solid hour of the Weird Sisters should the insensitive git run off without saying goodbye_.

Some were even downright violent.

_The party of the first part, ie, yours truly, shall bludgeon the party of the second part, heretofore known as the inconsiderate prat, with a large and smelly halibut, with one slap allowed for each hour that yours truly spends worrying about you-know-who._

By the time Tonks finally made it to her bed, she merely fell into it fully clothed while setting forth her final bylaw.

_The party of the first part shall pray that nothing harms the party of the second part so that she can either give him a good wallop or a righteous snog, depending on her mood, when the inconsiderate prat finally shows up._

wwwwwwwwww

The man sat in the chair by the window as the waxing moon filled the sky. His reflection in it softened the scars marring his face, but his melancholy gaze was intense. He sipped the Wolfsbane Potion and thought about what he had discovered today.

The killings at the last full moon were certainly the work of a werewolf. But the way they happened suggested the power of the werewolf was directed by deliberate thought. Lupin sipped the Wolfsbane Potion and smiled again at the irony. Of course, it was the same thing he had been doing during the past year. Three times he'd hunted the werewolves during the full moon. He'd felt like a bounty hunter and swore he wouldn't do it again. But now here he was, possibly walking into a trap.

The Dark Arts were alive and well at Holyhead. All signs pointed to a Dark Wizard who was working with the werewolf. The Dark Wizard had brought his victims to the Arsenal, that much was clear. Those bodies had been disposed of more carefully than the other murders. And Lupin had a good idea who that Dark Wizard would be.

Lupin had to admit he needed help and made up his mind to owl Moody. This thought allowed him to relax and he let his mind drift to Tonks. She probably didn't even know he was gone yet.

wwwwwwwww

Tonks was trying not to nod off at the Auror briefing the next morning. Kingsley Shacklebolt seemed only too pleased to jab his colleague in the ribs to keep her awake. Tonks turned her hair into the Slytherin green with streaks of silver in retort. Shacklebolt hated when she did that.

The Auror briefings were always performed by Carolynda Glockenspeil, a witch so ancient that she referred to Moody as the young brat. Her nasally voice was rather atonal and she had a penchant for ignoring questions, although most attributed that to a hearing problem.

"...and finally, the Ministry has decided that we need to investigate Gideon Skinner to squash the allegations that he is hiding ancient relics of the Dark Arts. You will be deployed this afternoon to the Island of Anglesey in Northwestern Wales and lodge overnight at the Skinner Manor at Holyhead. This is just a routine inspection and requires no special protocols. Are there any volunteers?"

Tonks had her hand over her mouth and was stifling a yawn when Shacklebolt bumped her elbow just right to send her hand flying up.

"Very good, Tonks. See Furbish for the brief and your apparation coordinates."

Tonks sat there stunned until she heard Moody's voice ring forth from the back. It was his prerogative to volunteer for jobs now that he was retired. "I'll be joining Tonks, then."

"Moody?" Tonks asked. She was needed here for the Order; she'd been just about to protest her assignment.

"Trust me, Tonks, you want the assignment," said Moody quietly.

_TBC_

Author Notes:

This story is designed to fill in "gaps" about Remus Lupin and, of course, put Tonks and Remus in a situation that extends their relationship. The ideas presented here are common enough on various forums. It seems plausible that Remus got his credentials as a teacher by working as a private tutor. I imagine that he couldn't keep the job for more than 8-9 months, just like at Hogwarts.

Instead of a French background that is often ascribed to him, I've given Remus a Roman ancestry and I liked the ancient fort found on the Isle of Anglesey at Holyhead. Never been there, so you can't trust me for accuracy on details. Anyway, I thought that helped explain the name. And coming from a family of wolf hunter's certainly is not unique to me, but it is an element that works well in this story.

The moonstone, as you probably know, is an actual gem, very translucent, although you can find other shades. Among other lore it is associated with the sea, enhances perception, is linked to the Third Eye. It's also seen as feminine, promoting intuition, creativity. Anyway, the idea of the Wolfshadow amulet is not canon, but in case it wasn't clear, the wearer can detect a werewolf even in human form because they will see the shadow of the wolf.

I just hope you find this plausible.

I have no idea if Moody even likes sherbet and in keeping with his paranoia, made him check for spells before he touched it. I just thought that Tonks would have a neat influence on Moody that way and wanted to present some insight into their relationship.

The Forgetful Frogs was my reset button so that Ron would be ignorant of Ginny's boyfriend as occurs in Book Five.

This story will have three chapters and I hope to have it complete within ten days. It can be read as a stand-alone, but if you're new to this fanfic and want some background, just hit Queriusole to access the previous stories.

Thanks for reading and reviews.


	2. Venificus Primo

_**VENIFICUS PRIMO**_

"It's humble, but it's home," said Gideon Skinner as he greeted Tonks and Moody at his manor near Holyhead. Moody and Tonks followed their host as he sauntered through his halls. The wizard reminded Tonks of a darker version of Lucious Malfoy. "Of course, I live here all alone, so I do look forward to your company tonight. Most evenings I only have the portraits to talk to."

"This bloke looks like he'd have interesting stories," said Tonks as she indicated a salty sea captain with a raven perched on his shoulder. The Captain grinned at her comment and the raven preened.

"John MacGregor Skinner is one of my more famous ancestors. He was born in the Colonies and fought in the colonial rebellion in America, then spent a long life here. Muggles think he was washed overboard at the age of 70, but really, he just wanted to retire to a warmer climate. Lived for another 70 years, in fact, in the West Indies."

"And would that be the same raven?" asked Moody, now pointing to the large blackbird that roosted on the mantle of the fireplace at the end of the long hall. Moody's blue eye was doing a weird rotation in its socket.

Skinner hesitated just a moment. "Ah, a joker, I see. Very funny, Mister Moody. How ridiculous to think the same raven would be so long lived?"

Tonks matched Skinner's fake smile, although she noticed Moody's face was impassive. "Well, Mister Skinner, I'm sorry to invade your privacy like this, but we must begin our inspection."

"By all means, please proceed. I have nothing to hide here. Cornelius said the best way to squash the rumors about my alleged activities would be to let the Aurors have a go at my manor and grounds," assured Skinner. The raven suddenly flew to the man's shoulder and initiated a staring contest with Moody.

"We'll begin, then," said Tonks. Skinner nodded and left, but the two Aurors didn't move until he was out of sight.

"You know bloody well we won't find a thing in this house," began Tonks.

"You're right, but let's do a stroll through so that our host won't be suspicious."

"And why exactly am I wasting my time here?" asked Tonks.

"They have a very interesting Roman fort at Holyhead, you know. Caer Gybi even has a church right in the middle of it."

"And you think there's something special about the fort?" asked Tonks. Moody didn't waste his breath on random topics.

"I've never been there, but trust me. We need to take a stroll when we finish here. Breathe in some sea air."

wwwwwwww

The Aurors used a disillusionment charm as they walked to Caer Gybi. Once they arrived at the Roman fort, it didn't take Moody long to find the right charm to reveal the proper entrance in the herringbone wall.

"I'll watch your--bloody hell," said Tonks. She saw Skinner walking across the street with the raven flying high above his head.

"In you go, Tonks, I'll take care of Skinner. That raven warrants another look," said Moody as he let his disillusionment charm fall away and appeared to walk from around the corner.

Tonks entered quickly, but heard Skinner calling to Moody.

"Mister Moody, what brings you out here? Enjoying the sights with the young witch?"

"Hmf. It never serves to have a woman as a partner. Ran off to look at baubles and whatnot..."

wwwwwwww

Tonks could feel the age of the old Roman fort as she walked down the passage. She held her wand in front of her and tread softly. She wasn't the best Auror when it came to stealth, but her clumsiness diminished when she was on duty.

She stopped suddenly and cocked her head. Had she heard a sound? Tonks held her breath for a moment and concentrated. Moody's rubbing off on me, all right, thought Tonks with a roll to her eyes.

"_Aquilo_." The word was spoken softly, but suddenly the light of her wand went out as a cold gust of air hit her.

"_Expelliarmus!_" she cried immediately as she raised her wand with her right hand while waving her left to grab at a wand that should have come her way.

"_Protego_." The word was softly spoken, but simultaneous with her own spell.

"_Immobilus_." Both voices rang in concert and the spells collided with a blinding spark.

But now Tonks could feel the body in front of her even as an arm was reaching out to grab the collar of her cloak. She raised her wand ready to fight off the attack, but then the quiet voice said, "_Lumos._"

They stood with his wand at her throat and her wand pressed against his chest at his heart. Both were breathing heavily and looked at each other in surprise.

Lupin moved first and stepped backwards saying, "Tonks? You're not Moody."

Tonks blinked once and said, "Stumpy leg, magic eye, manly bits? No, haven't got any of those. Sorry."

"Where's--Why--When--What are you doing to me?" said Lupin in frustration. He was never at a loss for words but here he stood stammering. He was so happy to see her, guilty he'd attacked her and angry that she was in this place. How did one deal with so many emotions at once?

"What I'm not doing is arresting you yet, Professor Lupin. You just committed a level five offense in attacking an Auror on duty!" Tonks felt like hugging him in her relief to see him and slapping him for upsetting her the previous day. She settled for glaring at him.

"I set the wards so that only Mad-eye could open them, but then I didn't hear his walk." Lupin ran a hand through his hair. "Where is he? Has something happened?"

"Don't be so happy to see me; I'll faint from the glow," muttered Tonks, now a bit hurt that he seemed to find her presence here a nuisance.

She continued. "Moody's here. He's distracting Gideon Skinner, the wizard we're investigating, while I look around," said Tonks as she controlled her temper. She had to find some emotional distance from him, so she put her job first and scanned the chamber. Tonks whistled. "This looks like a bloody arsenal."

"That's an accurate description," said Lupin as he walked away from her. He faced a man-sized cage that occupied the corner of the room and grabbed the bars as he leaned wearily against them.

Tonks took note of the bloodstained weapons. "Spears, swords, axes, cross-bows, nets." She inspected the fine carvings on the handles. The lupine theme would be apparent even to a naive eye. "Wolf Hunter weapons."

"Yes." The word was quietly spoken, but Lupin didn't turn to face her.

"But they've been used against humans recently," said Tonks as she turned her attention from the contents of the Arsenal to the man. "These are the Dark artifacts that Skinner's been hiding."

"No!" protested Lupin as he turned around. He took a calming breath and explained, "The weapons are spelled to have maximum effect against any type of wolf, but werewolves in particular. They aren't meant for the Dark Arts; they were created to protect humans against--Them."

"How did you know about this place, Remus?" asked Tonks as she slowly approached him. "Did they--were you hunted?"

Lupin was shaking his head and then a bitter laugh erupted. "No, not the hunted."

Tonks frowned for a moment, but then she glanced to the letters carved on the plate of the cage he was standing against.

"Lupinus." She read the word and then looked around the chamber again. "Lupinus. Lupin. The name got shortened over time."

"Yes."

"Your family, they were the Wolf Hunters." Tonks shook her head. Then her voice held the wonder of a child who had made an impossible discovery. She brought her hand to her mouth as she said, "Remus. Of course. Your name's not just a parental whim."

Tonks closed her eyes and leaned her back against the cage as she now stood beside Lupin. She kept her eyes closed as she asked, "_Venificus Primo_? Are you a direct descendent of the Roman wizards?"

"_Venificus Primo_," confirmed Lupin, but without any arrogance. "Only through my father's line, though. In each generation only one son survived to pass on the name and the legacy."

Tonks tried to absorb this information about the mild-mannered professor she had first met. _Venificus Primo_. Many wizards in Britain made the claim, but none could substantiate it. Tonks gulped and asked, "Don't tell me you also have ancient Celtic--"

Lupin shrugged. "My forefathers took brides wherever the hunt would take them. Here in Wales, but also in Ireland and Scotland. Some even went to France and Romania before coming back. That's how we hid our line; my ancestors pretended to be immigrating, but were actually coming home. Not all of the brides were witches, though."

"Well, that's a relief," said Tonks wryly. "Your family certainly did a good job. Wolves have been extinct in the British Isles for 250 years."

"They had help from the rest of the population, but from Holyhead the Lupins could head to Ireland or up to Scotland for the hunt. Finally, only the werewolves were left." Lupin shrugged his shoulders. "What happened to me was probably inevitable."

Tonks looked up at Lupin's profile as she asked, "Were you on a hunt when it happened? When you were bitten?"

Lupin closed his eyes. "I was young and foolish. What happened to me was all my fault."

"But you were just a child. Surely your parents--"

"No, my father didn't know what I was doing until it was too late." Lupin drew in a deep breath. "He and my grandfather had just finished a hunt and brought back this werewolf alive. I wanted to prove to my grandfather that I wasn't--" Lupin couldn't finish and just shook his head as he took a step away from the cage.

"Afraid?" offered Tonks as she moved by him.

"He said my father was too gentle to keep up the family tradition and then he'd look at me with the same disappointment." Lupin finally met Tonks' gaze. "My mother taught me to read when I turned four. I was so proud of how fast I picked it up until I saw the disapproval in my grandfather's eyes. So when I was five, I came down here just to look. Father was already showing me how to take care of the weapons."

Tonks surveyed the contents of the Arsenal again. Lupin would be a rich man if sold the items. He noted how she was looking at them and explained, "I wasn't going to hurt it--him-- or even go near. But then, I saw his eyes. The werewolf was in so much pain."

Tonks could understand what happened next. "You wanted to help, so you walked closer."

Lupin could only nod, then he finished by saying, "If it weren't for the cage, I'd be dead. The werewolf would have gotten a better grip on me. So this cage protected me then and later..."

Lupin suddenly turned and banged a fist against the bars. "It's strong, designed to contain a werewolf. And every full moon after that, this cage protected my family against me."

Tonks stared at the cell with new understanding. Unlike the Shrieking Shack, no residuals from Lupin's transformation remained on the surrounding metal and stone. She blinked her eyes and calmed her breathing. "Your parents would clean up the mess in the morning."

Lupin ran his fingers across the bars and created a melancholy tone. "They were gentle people, Tonks. My father gave up the hunt. Even when my grandfather died five years later, he never took it up again. But he always made sure the Arsenal was in pristine condition. Now this--this desecration happens on my watch. I won't tolerate it."

Both were silent for a moment as they became absorbed in their thoughts. Tonks could hardly believe she had ever thought Remus Lupin was a bland English gentleman. The power of the ancient magic around her was very strong and she could practically feel the connection now between Remus and this environment.

"It's been well hidden all these centuries. How did it get breached?" asked Tonks.

"Skinner's raven," said a third voice.

Tonks and Lupin turned to find Moody stomping down to them. "What did I tell you about constant vigilance, boy?"

"Don't worry, Mad-eye, he's already committed a level five offense today," assured Tonks. She was relieved to have some breathing space after all she had discovered about Lupin.

"Good. It was a draw?" said Moody as he surveyed the room.

"We'll take it up later," said Tonks.

Moody looked at the silent Lupin and admonished, "I warned you about getting involved with Aurors."

"On numerous occasions, but now I want to know how the Arsenal was invaded. What does Skinner's raven have to do with it?" Lupin appeared quite eager for this information.

"It's no raven, it's an animagus," said Moody as his eye began spinning. "A very old animagus who has been spying on the Lupins for two centuries."

Lupin frowned at this information. "Skinners have always had ravens. Now it looks like they have a werewolf, too."

"You know who this werewolf is?" asked Tonks.

"I detected him this morning, but he slipped away. Skinner has a cousin named Martin Leeks. I think he was deliberately bitten."

"That's rather extreme," said Tonks.

"He's a squib who didn't get sent to Hogwarts because the family was ashamed of him." Lupin sighed. "If you can't do magic, why not be magical? But there's more. The attacks last month were very deliberate. I think he's using Wolfsbane to maintain coherent thought."

"The power of the werewolf but the mind of a human," said Moody, "and a psychopathic one at that. Well, I can see why you called for help."

"At least the odds are even," said Tonks. "So, do we go after them now or--"

"You should go home, Tonks," said Lupin with resolve. "Moody and I can see to this."

"You should go home, Remus," said Tonks as she stood face to face and craned her neck to keep eye contact. "Moody and I can see to this. We're the Aurors."

"It's my legacy," said Lupin sternly.

"It's my job," countered Tonks.

"And it's my headache if you two keep this up," said Moody. "We'll deal with Skinner first, but if you can't get to this Leeks fellow by full moon, we'll be out to help you. Now, let me decontaminate these weapons. They would've killed you if you'd tried it, Lupin."

"This is a trap for you, you know," began Tonks.

"I'm fully aware of that, Tonks, but I know what I'm doing."

"And you think I don't? You--ugh!" Tonks walked away from the men muttering, "I'll wait for you outside, Moody, before I commit a level six offense."

Lupin watched her retreating back as Moody began decontaminating the weapons. He asked, "Why did you bring Tonks with you?"

"Because she's damn good at what she does," said Moody. "If you can't accept her as an Auror then you shouldn't pursue her further."

"I am not pursuing her," insisted Lupin.

"That's your problem, Lupin. You're too much like that turtle patronus of yours. Quiet, hide in a shell, slow moving until you're in the right environment." Moody's eye was spinning wildly. "Get your head out or leave her be."

Lupin was at a loss for a retort. How had things become so complicated? He only wanted her to be safe. He had to make her understand. "I better talk to her."

"We're meeting Skinner for dinner at just after sunset. Make sure she's not late."

Tonks was standing outside the entrance when Lupin walked by her and grabbed her arm. "Come with me."

"Now wait just a minute," said Tonks as she shook off his hand and backed away from him by several steps. "What makes you think you can--"

"_Accio_ Tonks!"

You aren't supposed to be able to summon another wizard, thought Tonks as she found herself in Lupin's arms. They disapparated with a smooth, low toned pop.

wwwwwwwww

Lupin set her down as soon as they apparated into an old stone house. It carried the same undertones of the Arsenal, but here the atmosphere was much warmer and inviting. Tonks stumbled a little when he put her down, but caught herself and quickly put distance between them. "That's some trick, Remus. Anything else up your sleeve?"

Lupin surprised her as he raised his wand, holding it sideways in a fisted hand. It was a sign of surrendering the wand to an Auror, so her own hand rose automatically and took it.

"Go ahead, Tonks. I won't stop you. Hit me with everything you've got," said Lupin as he stood there with arms open. He would not defend himself. He couldn't show his trust any clearer than this.

Tonks bit her lip and shook her head. Why were they fighting? She looked at the two wands in her hand and said, "You know, I was going to force you to listen to a solid hour of the Weird Sisters for not letting me know you were gone."

Lupin's hands fell to his sides. "What? But, I didn't think it would be important to you--"

"Oh, shut up before I do wallop you with a large, smelly halibut!" said Tonks as she walked up to him.

"It would be preferable to that bit of Weird Sisters torture you had in mind," said Lupin with a dubious glance and a light smile.

"Remus, you are so clueless," said Tonks as she reached up to touch his face. "I've been worried about you. I didn't even know where you were with the full moon coming. I don't want to see you get hurt."

He leaned into that warm hand and pulled her into his embrace without thinking. They just stood there for several minutes as they accepted the fact that they couldn't protect the other from the dangers they chose to expose themselves to.

"My dear Aurora," began Lupin, using the archaic term for the female Auror, "I have complete faith in your abilities. I've just been seeing this as my fight, not anyone else's."

"You'd accept help from Moody," said Tonks.

"Yes, well, that's because he scares me," said Lupin as he rubbed his cheek against the top of head.

"And I don't?"

"You leave me completely petrified at times," admitted Lupin.

"Then I meet your qualifications for assisting you," said Tonks. She pulled back to look in his eyes. "I'm not leaving."

"I know, I was foolish to tell you to go," said Remus. This time, he gently took her hand and led her to mantle. He opened the ebony box and withdrew the moonstone amulet. Without a word, he put it around her neck.

Tonks touched the stone gently with her fingers. She recognized the gem and then suddenly felt the magic. "It's been charmed. An amulet?"

"Look at my shadow," said Remus. He held his breath as he expected to see the fear or the loathing in her face. Did she realize what he really was during full moon?

Tonks frowned, but looked to the wall. The shadow Remus cast seemed to flicker and then fill out into another form. The profile was clearly that of his werewolf. She gasped, but her words were enthusiastic and not hesitant. "It's a detector. Your family used it for the hunt?"

"They're called Wolfshadow amulets." Lupin pulled out its twin from under his shirt. "I can't bear to wear it everyday, but if I need to find a werewolf, it's a good resource."

Tonks looked at him in curiosity. "And how often have you had to find another werewolf?"

Lupin slipped his amulet back under his shirt. He tapped absently at the mantle for a moment, then explained. "Last year, the Ministry had some incidents with werewolves they wanted handled quietly."

"I see. That's why you're suspicious about Leeks using the Wolfsbane to maintain enough sanity to control the power. You know firsthand how that works"

"I quit after I caught the first three and came back here. Then Sirius found me and told me what had happened with the Triwizard Tournament."

"And now you're on the hunt again," said Tonks. "But you can't use the weapons in the Arsenal, can you?"

"No opposable thumb, but then I've always had the advantage of planning."

"We'll see about Skinner and be out to help you immediately," promised Tonks.

Lupin nodded in agreement. He intended to have his issue resolved before they were drawn into facing a werewolf. He looked out the window and for once, gave into impulse. "Come on, there's one more thing I want you to see."

They sat together on the cliffs watching the South Stack Lighthouse begin to glow as the sun fell in the western sky. Tonks had her hand lightly on his knee and felt his covering hers, tangling their fingers together. They remained silent and enjoyed the peace of the moment. They knew the night ahead would bring no rest.

_TBC_

Author Notes:

_Aquilo_ means north wind in Latin, but is not HP canon. Nor is the concept of Venificus Primo, but it translates roughly into first wizard. Can a wizard summon another through _accio_? I don't know, but who could resist it with these two?

John MacGregor Skinner is based on a real sea Captain from Holyhead. He really had a raven, so I couldn't resist using this. I mean no offense to direct descendents. This is just a work of fiction, but his rich character was inviting to the story.

Caer Gybi is the name of the Roman fort at Holyhead and is supposed to be very well preserved. The lighthouse I describe is also real. You can find the info and a short clip of these things at worldwidewales.tv/index

About the righteous snog phrase in the first chapter. It merely echoes Moody's words from A Kiss Is Just a Kiss.

Thank you for reading and reviews. I hope the plausibility of the situation was maintained in this chapter. The last chapter will wrap up this story and should be posted in about 4 days.


	3. Moonrise

_**MOONRISE**_

Sirius Black sat cross-legged on the floor of Buckbeak's room at number twelve Grimmauld Place. He threw a guilty look in the direction of the hippogriff. He might as well be the creature's jailor. He released a long breath, but couldn't shake off his feeling of anxiety. His heart was filled with a familiar foreboding as if Dementors were in the area.

"I'm losing my mind. Dementors are at Azkaban, not out searching for me. And Harry's safely at Privet Drive with those hideous relatives of his."

Buckbeak emitted a squawk.

"Yes, I think Harry should be with me, too. I could protect him here! But no, I'm expected to write him stupid letters about keeping a stiff upper lip."

Buckbeak cocked his head as he turned to the window and stomped his front claw on the floor.

Sirius followed his gaze. The sun was setting and night would soon fall. "The full moon? What? You want to play with our werewolf? He's at Holyhead."

Buckbeak blinked his eyes.

"Tonks' note said she and Moody were heading there. They'll stumble onto Remus and help him, I'm sure."

Buckbeak flapped his wings urgently this time which sent a few loose feathers floating toward Sirius.

_Cough, cough._ "Thanks, but I'm not hungry," said Sirius as he spit out a small feather.

This time Buckbeak ran toward the window and began tapping it frantically. Sirius stood up in alarm.

"What the hell's gotten into you? I can't let you out."

Buckbeak turned to Sirius and emitted a low cooing noise from his craw. The man stroked the soft feathers of his companion's throat. He looked out the window and felt a surge of rebellion flow through him. Why not? Buckbeak understood the risks and it was a crime to keep him cooped up like this.

Sirius drew his wand and with a quick flick, the large window of the bedroom opened. He cast a charm on Buckbeak and said, "Be home by dawn or no fresh rats!"

The hippogriff made himself into a narrow projectile and launched out the window. Sirius saw his form quickly disappear and felt a moment of joy at the freedom. Sometimes rules had to be broken, especially if it meant keeping your sanity.

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Lupin sat on the cliff beside Tonks. The lighthouse seemed like a sentinel against the approaching darkness, so he let the feeling of contentment wash over him for a moment. He had less than an hour until the last rays of the sun died and his transformation would begin.

Tonks felt him relax, but there was an urgent question she wanted answered. "Why didn't Skinner just raid the Arsenal? He'd make a fortune if he sold the contents. Why does he want you dead?"

Lupin remained silent so that Tonks was convinced he wouldn't answer. But then he began the story. "It's an old family feud, but has nothing to do with the Wolf Hunt. A Skinner daughter went missing, then showed up several months later, sick and pregnant. It was quite a scandal at the time, around 1800. She didn't speak until she went into labor and delivered a stillborn son. Before she died, she named Seneca Lupin as the father. At least, that's what her family said."

"Star-crossed lovers?" asked Tonks.

"I'm not so sure. Seneca was abroad in Scotland during those months the girl was missing. He was challenged to a duel by the eldest of her four brothers as soon as he got back, but he killed the man. When Seneca married and had children, he had a son and, for the first time in ten generations, a daughter."

Tonks noticed that Lupin was clutching her hand now, so she rubbed it gently and he released his grip as he shook his head. "When the daughter was thirteen, she was raped and murdered. Seneca killed two of the remaining Skinner brothers, but died from his own wounds."

"So this is nothing personal?" asked Tonks.

Lupin frowned a moment. "Skinner was never friendly to me at Hogwarts. Sirius never liked him, though. I actually tutored Martin Leeks about eight years ago, so I thought the feud was suspended at least."

"The Raven. Moody said it was two hundred years old. That would be about the same time the feud started," said Tonks.

"There were no registered animagi from the Skinners," said Lupin, but he knew how little that meant. He'd rather not contemplate the thought of a malevolent wizard harboring two hundred years of hate. He gave her hand a squeeze and said, "Time to find Moody."

Tonks turned toward him and put her hands on the silver chain that held the moonstone. "Thank you, Remus, for trusting me with your legacy."

She made to take off the chain, but his hand moved forward and gently stopped her. "No, keep it safe for now. There are werewolves out tonight."

Tonks smiled and felt honored that he would trust her with this heirloom. "How many others know your story? Dumbledore, Sirius--"

"No, I've never told anyone the things I've told you today. Dumbledore knows about my line and the holdings, but not from me. We never discussed it openly. Moody knows only what he saw in the Arsenal and Sirius..."

Lupin's voice fell away. "Sirius is the only other person who has been to my house, but he knows nothing about the Arsenal. After I resigned from Hogwarts I told him how to find me, but I never revealed my family history to my friends."

Tonks breathed in deeply as she remembered Sirius describing Lupin as being good at evading answers. "You're a man of many secrets, Remus."

"It's a family tradition," he immediately agreed. He took a sideward glance at her and thought carefully about his next move. He could argue that it was the end of day and that there were no witnesses. Hadn't she written that bylaw for their private club just for such circumstances?

"Tonks?" He said her name softly and she turned her head with her mouth opened in a light smile.

She held her breath as he leaned forward and then, without the element of duty or courtesy driving his motivations, Remus Lupin kissed Nymphadora Tonks. He was simply a man kissing a woman because he wanted to, because he wanted her.

"I see you got your head out, Lupin, but you best leave it at that."

Tonks groaned loudly as Lupin pulled back and both turned up to face Moody who let his disillusionment charm fall away. Tonks hissed, "Mad-Eye, we were having a moment here."

"Only a moment? Well, Lupin, I can give you some pointers on maintaining your--"

"Thanks just the same, Mad-Eye, but I'll work it through myself," said Lupin deftly as he offered Tonks a hand up. He couldn't imagine the type of advice Moody would give once he started on a roll. "We were just going to set off to find you."

"I got finished sooner than I expected and then thought we should go back to your original plan, but with a slight modification," said Moody with a glint in his real eye. Even the magic eye seemed to be shimmering.

Tonks and Lupin exchanged a glance. Moody's ideas sometimes got out of hand.

"I thought you said my plan was foolhardy?" reminded Lupin.

"And it would have been had you tried it alone, but now, we have the advantage..."

wwwwwwwww

"I don't think it will work. Lupin's too smart to be drawn into the trap you set for him," said Martin Leeks. He was a burly sort of young man with a full beard and long, unkept hair, but not much of a brain.

"That's only the first trap. If he manages to escape when he cleans the weapons, I'm sure he'll come here first. He's so predictable. Leandra, did you get it for me?" asked Skinner.

He spoke to a blonde haired woman who was perched on the arm of Leeks' chair. One couldn't tell Leandra and Martin Leeks were siblings given her elegant appearance. Her long legs were accented by the short skirt she wore. She pulled something that resembled a metal marble out of her pocket and tossed it to Skinner. "Here's your toy, but remember you promised to stop them after they stun Lupin. I want a chance to play with him, too."

"You should let me deal with him. Lupin could get away from you. Those Aurors would--" began Leeks.

"The Aurors are nothing but a burnt out old wizard with a stumpy leg and a flighty girl who looks like she has less magic than you, Martin. They'll serve their purpose when they find Lupin's carcass with his 'victims.'" The raven on his shoulder cawed in agreement and began preening.

Skinner then turned to Leandra and asked, "Why are you so anxious to have a go at Lupin?"

"Just curious."

"Lee was always bothering us when Lupin was my tutor." Martin was smirking at his sister.

"I was at Hogwarts!" said Leandra.

"Yeah, but every Hogsmeade weekend you'd sneak home. Lupin was too polite to tell you how much of a nuisance you were." Martin Leeks then mocked his sister's breathy voice, "'Oh, Professor, can you get this book down for me? And while you're at it, would you look down my shirt? Or up my skirt?'"

Leandra slapped her brother on the side of his head and said, "Stop it, Martin."

Skinner shrugged his shoulders. His cousin had strange appetites. "As long as he's dead in the morning, I don't care what you do with him. Martin, make sure the Wolfsbane potion is ready. I want to spend a bit more time with Leandra."

wwwwwwwww

A few minutes later, the doors of the Skinner mansion fell open as Remus Lupin burst through. His long stride took him quickly down the length of the hall, but he stopped before entering the room.

Gideon Skinner stood beside Leandra Leeks. The woman caught Lupin's gaze and quirked her eyebrow. Before either man said anything, she moved to the door and called over her shoulder, "Remember your promise, Gideon."

She sauntered toward Lupin, but didn't let his cold gaze deter her. With her breathy voice she said, "Why, hello, Professor. I hope you enjoy your visit."

She walked away but turned to call over her shoulder, "I'm all grown up now, in case you haven't noticed. Maybe we'll have time to catch up while you're here."

Leandra tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and expected to make a graceful exit. Her smooth departure was suddenly interrupted by a stumble where she knocked a lampshade askew in the hallway. Her shadow flickered against the wall as she readjusted it and slipped out with a scowl marring her face.

Skinner's laughter followed her out. "All grown up, but still clumsy. But what are you doing here, Remus?" The Raven glared on Skinner's shoulder. "You should have been impaled by your family arms."

"I won't stand by and let you invade my domain, Skinner." Lupin's voice held a cold rage.

"Why, Remus, have you finally lost your cool after all these years?" Skinner reached into his pocket and held up a marble-sized silver globe. The sphere was hollow, but the cortex was made of interlocking serpents.

"I'm expecting dinner guests, so let's get this over with quickly." The Raven flapped his wings twice before flying off. Skinner blew upon the sphere after he said, "_Orbis engorgio_."

The sphere dropped to the floor and expanded as it rolled forward. The silver serpents began to writhe across the surface. A small opening was created of sufficient size to swallow the tall man in the path of the orb.

"_Extundo!_" Three voices cried out the repelling spell that made the sphere bounce suddenly.

At that moment, Moody let his disillusionment charm fall away as he took control of the sphere. He swung his wand and bounced it once, twice and then onto Skinner when he tried to run away. The man had panicked and changed directions suddenly, only to be caught in the serpent's sphere. The jerking motions had agitated the metal vipers beyond control.

The anguished cries as the man was bitten by the snakes were unbearable. Lupin could hear Tonks echo his incantation. "_Immobilus_."

Tonks then let her disillusionment charm drop off and approached the serpentine cage. All was still and quiet for the moment. She slipped her hand through and felt for a pulse. "Skinner's alive, but I doubt his mind will recover. We shouldn't move him until he's stable." She stood and walked to Lupin. "Your secrets are safe for now."

Lupin spoke quietly, "Dumbledore always did say there are things worse than death."

"It's one potential Death Eater we won't have to worry about." Tonks was relieved that they had anticipated the attack. "Who was the woman?"

"Leandra Leeks, Martin's younger sister. She was always hanging around during the year I served as Martin's tutor," said Lupin absently.

"She fancied you, did she?" asked Moody as he scanned the room for the Raven.

"What? No, no, she was just a--"

"Girl with a schoolgirl crush? Professor Lupin, don't you know how many young hearts at Hogwarts were broken when you resigned?" asked Tonks with a bit of a wicked grin. She enjoyed making Lupin blush. Moody obviously did, too.

"She seems harmless enough. A bit clumsy--or did you deliberately trip her, Tonks?" asked Moody.

Now it was Tonks' turn to blush. She reached down to feel Skinner's pulse. "He seems stable now. Do you think they can do something for him at St. Mungo's?"

"Dunno, but I'll take him there now," said Moody. "You better get going, Lupin."

"Right," agreed Lupin before turning to Tonks. "Keep it safe."

He stepped back from the two Aurors and apparated with his characteristics low tone.

"He'll have just enough time to finish the Wolfsbane potion before the full moon hits him," said Tonks. "I should go with him to help."

Moody held up his hand. "Tonks, this isn't a game of dare. He has the best chance of finding Leeks now. You stay here until I get back and make sure that Raven isn't hiding in this house."

"But--"

"That's an order!" Moody apparated with a loud crack.

wwwwwwww

Half an hour later, Tonks was in the hall again after a thorough search through the Skinner mansion. She absently pulled out the moonstone amulet and was puzzled by why she would think of Leandra Leeks. The woman had literally stumbled over Tonks when she had left the manor. Well actually, Tonks had tripped her, but she didn't feel guilty about that.

Her thoughts ended abruptly when she heard Moody apparate.

"I think Skinner will be in Lockhart's wing after this," said Moody. Then he looked around and snarled, "Any luck finding the Raven?"

"Not even a black feather."

"Damn! That black bird escaped."

"We can look for it in the morning, Mad-Eye. The moon's up now and we need to help Remus."

"So we'll know Lupin because he'll have the twin of your amulet?" asked Moody as he eyed the moonstone now hanging outside Tonks' shirt.

"He said he'd keep his on," said Tonks. She thought of the Wolfshadow amulet and pictured the silhouette of Lupin's wolf. Then she frowned. She now understood why the moonstone made her think of Leandra Leeks. Her voice was urgent as she said, "Moody, there's not just one werewolf with Skinner. There are two."

"You think I'm daft? I can count, Tonks. Lupin's out there--"

"With two other werewolves, Moody. I saw the shadow on that woman, Leandra Leeks. And--

A distinctive howl filled the air and was answered by another. Tonks slapped her wand against the palm of her hand. Damn it, he better still be as virginal as Artemis when this night is through, thought Tonks.

Tonks and Moody ran out the mansion and stood trying to locate the direction of the howls. Tonks suddenly had to dodge the clawed feet of the Raven as it swooped down at her. The wings were flapping wildly as it tried to get at the moonstone.

Moody quickly directed his wand at the bird to send a short bolt of light across its wings. The Raven turned away from Tonks to attack Moody.

"Go, Tonks, I'll handle this and catch up," called Moody.

wwwwwwwwww

Tonks was using short apparations to cover the distance quicker, but she had to be careful or she would lose the sound she was tracking. Finally she found herself among the cliffs, but uncertain of the direction to go. Things were very quiet now and she didn't like it one bit. She turned around quickly in frustration when she noticed a flash of light coming from the moonstone.

"Detector?" Tonks whispered. Was the Wolfshadow the only trick in this little charm? Lupins seemed to be able to hide a lot of power. She turned in a circle again, only slowly this time as she kept an eye on the amulet. The distinctive flash of light as it caught the moonlight had not been her imagination.

"Right, I go west."

And west she did go only to come upon a scene that fit into her oddest nightmare.

wwwwwwwwww

Lupin's mind was getting quite foggy. He had been tracking Leeks when he had heard another werewolf calling. The howl had activated a compulsion within the werewolf, although the human mind he held was able to dampen his response. Still, he had been compelled to seek the source.

_Oh. Bloody. Hell_. His thoughts were quite deliberate as he caught the scent. Still, he felt the heat rising in his body as he approached the clearing. He couldn't hold back the low howl drawn from him again.

There she stood with her head tilted up as she called again. Her forepaws were pressed against the trunk of the body of a man. Her maw was stained red from where she had ripped out his throat.

Leandra howled again in pleasure as her human mind reveled in the power of the beast within her. Her first transformation was worth the pain now that she had tasted the fruit the beast yearned for. Like her brother, she had drunk the Wolfsbane so that she could be a predator with the cunning of a human mind. It had been easy to get her brother to bite her and a source of amusement to keep the information from her cousin Gideon.

Leandra's silver white fur gleamed in the moonlight. Her coat was unscarred and the body it swathed was well-toned. The beautiful creature turned to look at Lupin with her bright amber eyes. The night had just gotten even better!

Lupin had never anticipated this trap. The Wolfsbane allowed him to control the wolf sufficiently to turn away from her gaze, but the pull was so strong. He needed to get out of here and get on with his hunt. She might kill again, but he couldn't be around her and control the werewolf.

Lupin turned to look at the female again when a familiar form came stumbling rather inelegantly into the clearing.

"Back off, you bitch, he's mine!" yelled Tonks as she executed an unladylike slide down the cliffside to reach them.

The she-wolf wrinkled her snout as she snarled and Lupin darted forward to prevent the deadly lunge that would either kill Tonks or curse her with lycanthropy. He knocked Leandra off her attack and the white wolf rolled on the ground with the dirt finally staining her coat.

"_Homorphum lupus!_" Tonks aimed her wand at the she-wolf. There was a flash of blue light that encompassed the werewolf and the whine of pain was one Lupin recognized.

As the blue aura subsided, there on the ground lay the human form of Leandra Leeks. She began to come out of the stupor, but rather than speak like a human, she snarled like an animal.

"_Accio_ net," called Tonks and one of the werewolf nets Moody had taken from the Arsenal flew to her. She sent it to wrap around the woman who was still incapable of making a human sound.

Tonks exhaled and turned to look at Lupin who was now standing. Her eyes scanned him quickly, then Tonks quirked an eyebrow and said, "I'm glad you're so happy to see me."

Yes, werewolves can roll their eyes, she thought next. Lupin couldn't talk, but the low growl that escaped his throat conveyed his concern.

The woman's body began to contort and stretch as she whined painfully as she transformed back into the werewolf. Tonks sighed at the suffering. "Is the spell always so short lived?"

Lupin nodded. It was a rare wizard who could cast a successful homorphus spell, but even then, the effects were temporary, just long enough to transmute the werewolf into the human form for the kill. Few in his own line of Wolf Hunters had ever mastered it. Lupin wondered for a moment if the metamorphmagus had a special advantage in transfiguration and transformations.

Then Lupin heard the loping run coming toward them. He looked at Tonks and felt frustrated that he couldn't speak. He emitted a sharp bark and was off to intercept his prey.

"You're welcome," called Tonks after his retreating back. She knelt down wearily as the captured werewolf began to writhe.

"Tonks?"

She heard Moody's voice in the distance. "Over here, Mad-Eye. I got Leandra Leeks with a homorphus spell. She's shifted back to a werewolf now."

"It worked, did it? Never have managed to get the hang of it myself," muttered Moody as he bent to inspect the body under the net. "I can detect Wolfsbane, but this one had another potion in her as well. Where's Lupin?"

"He ran off to look for Leeks, Mad-Eye," said Tonks. "What about the Raven?"

"It got away, but flew in this direction." Moody tapped the werewolf in the net with his wand. "I can take her to a holding cell at the ministry then be back to help. You're more useful than I am to Lupin right now."

"Right then. I'll signal you when I find him."

_TBC_

Author note:

This chapter was longer than I anticipated and I didn't want to rush the ending. So, 4th chapter will be up in a few days. Sorry for the delay in posting this one, but I thought I would finish.

_Extundo_ is a repelling spell, but not canon. The serpent sphere is not canon, but I really liked the concept. Hoped I conveyed the image adequately.

The Wolfshadow amulet, as you can tell, can detect the direction of the other. It's not a love token, by the way, it's used by father and son on the hunt.

Thank you for reinforcing the idea of the Roman background. I regret that there won't be much more of it in this story, but your reviews have inspired me to write a story called Wolfmoat. It won't be ready until October, but it will give more history. Heh heh.

Again, thanks for reading and being patient.

wwwwwwww


	4. Hunter's Moon

_**HUNTER'S MOON**_

Remus Lupin saw the other werewolf coming toward the clearing where he had left Tonks. His actions were deliberate as he took a path up to the next ridge on the cliff and anticipated the point of interception. The sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight as he snarled. The younger wolf was likely to be stronger given his bulk, but Lupin still had the advantage of a longer stride.

There was a yelp as Lupin leapt onto Leeks and immediately locked his jaws on the nape of the other werewolf. He deliberately tore at the fur so that the pain would ensure that Leeks wouldn't get distracted and search for new prey.

Leeks shook off Lupin and turned to get a powerful bite on his left shoulder. The wolves struggled with each other until Lupin dropped into a roll that sent Leeks tumbling over him with his snout sliding across the dirt. Lupin leapt onto the ridge and emitted a challenging howl as Leeks shook himself off. Lupin waited for the attack, again snarling a challenge. Leeks bounded forward, but instead of staying to fight, Lupin took off at a fast lope to lead Leeks away from Tonks.

Lupin raced along the familiar cliffs and kept climbing higher as the paths of his childhood filled his memory. He lost track of time and barely registered the full moon in the sky. He reached the top ledge and could hear Leeks behind him. He put on a burst of energy as he drew the other into the trap.

wwwwwww

Tonks took a deep breath after Moody disapparated with his prisoner. She had performed the homorphus charm once more so that Moody could stupefy Leandra Leeks for the trip to the holding cell at the ministry. Tonks touched the werewolf net and chanted, "_Reducto."_

With the net folded neatly in a pocket of her robes, she now looked at the body of Leandra Leeks' victim. He had been a young man, probably a Muggle given the absence of a wand. She flicked her wand with her right hand while her left hand waved over his mutilated throat.

This body would be found in the morning and the Muggle authorities would rule it an accident. "You poor young bloke. Why'd you go and break your neck? Shouldn't be walking around these cliffs at night all drunk."

Tonks closed the eyes of the young man with a last sigh. She could feel the soreness in her rump and lower back from her slide down to Lupin. She chanted a quick spell to reduce the discomfort, but muttered, "Remus Lupin, you owe me one hell of a massage."

She had no time to waste further on soothing her injuries. She clasped the moonstone and moved it in an arc in front of her until it gleamed. She had to follow them on foot until she could detect their form or their howling. All Aurors had to have rigorous physical training to be able to deal with such circumstances.

"He'd make a better turtle than werewolf," muttered Tonks an hour later as she stopped to take a breath. The wolves were running silently now; there was no way for her to stay on their track beyond the gleam of the moonstone. The wolves were doing a zigzag up the cliffs, but the sudden turns made it impossible to predict their trajectory. Tonks also didn't know who lead, Lupin or Leeks.

The Auror estimated it was about midnight when she stole a glance at the full moon above her and finally caught sight of their silhouettes on the highest ledge above her. The two wolves came together, but Tonks couldn't see the moonstone amulet that identified Lupin. Suddenly, one sprang in a ferocious attack and soon both were rolling on the ground. They withdrew only to spring at each other again with the snarls clearly echoing in the night.

Tonks slapped her wand against her hand in frustration. Not only was she too far to cast the homorphus charm, she also couldn't distinguish the wolves unless she got closer. She had made her decision to apparate when the raucous caw of the Raven joined the snarls.

The next events made her freeze. The Raven flew at the wolves with claws extended. One of the large forms stumbled on the edge of the cliff and tried to regain balance. It was a futile attempt. Tonks watched in horror as the body fell over the edge and struck the cliff side several times before striking the water below.

Tonks looked up the cliff, but now the battleground above was empty of wolf or raven. She wanted to scream; she wanted to blast the edge of the cliff away with the force of her fury. But she was an Auror, not some fledgling out of Hogwarts. She let the cold wall seep in to shield her from her emotional turmoil.

With a sharp crack she apparated above the water where the body had fallen. She floated in the air like some dark angel as the breeze caught her cloak. Only then did she allow herself to call, "Remus!"

The body was still as the waves lapped across the torso and Tonks blinked back her tears and forced herself to do her job. "_Wingardium leviosa_."

The flick of her wand lifted the form from the water and the absence of the Wolfshadow amulet made her heart race. His amulet had fallen, so she vowed not to leave Holyhead until she found it. Then she looked at her own moonstone and noticed it was dull. Did death cause that? Her grief prevented her from looking at the body closely and drawing the logical conclusion for a moment.

Once the body was on the sand, she glided over until she could kneel by him and forced herself to inspect the body. Her voice was soft as she said, "_Homorphum lupus_."

The body shifted form and as the face became clear, she put her face in her hands in relief. "Not Remus, not Remus, not Remus."

But her relief was short-lived. If this was Leeks, where was Remus?

wwwwwww

The Raven swooped into the shaft where Lupin fell and transformed as soon as she touched the floor. The skin was old and withered and she had long since avoided wasting her magic on her gray hair. She had used Lupin's own trap against him and cackled softly in delight. It was no matter that her own kin had fallen; the younger generation had merely been a means to her end.

She had waited so long! And now the last of his line was at her mercy. She clapped her hands in almost childish delight. The wolf was unconscious now and could easily be killed. She didn't notice the moonstone around his neck.

Instead she remembered how this one looked so much like Seneca Lupin in his human form. It would make killing him even more rewarding if she waited until she transformed. Her energy was waning of late, but she would make sure the last Lupin went with her into death. She made her decision and removed her wand from the folds of her dress. The Raven disapparated and took the wolf with her.

wwwwwww

Moody and Tonks walked along the cliff's edge with the illumination of their wands adding to the full moon above them. An hour had passed since Tonks had lost Lupin. Moody had seen to Leeks, while muttering something about turning into an ambulance apparation service, but Tonks had been stymied in her attempts to find a clue as to where Lupin was now.

"The trap's like the classic wolf pit of old," said Moody. Lupin had told them he had several to access depending on the turn of the chase. The old Auror peered down to make sure he could scan the cavern with his magic eye.

"One falls off the cliff and the other falls into the shaft." Tonks looked around, but couldn't see a moonstone lying anywhere. Lupin should still be wearing his amulet unless the Raven removed it. "Damn Raven! He's been a lot of trouble."

"The Raven is a witch," said Moody as he stood back up. He turned to his young partner and added, "I couldn't see it before. The body's pretty well lost its sense of sex, mind you, but she transformed for a moment here and the imprint is fresh enough to be clear."

"I should have known it'd be a woman! No wonder Lupin's a bachelor, he only attracts the loonies." Tonks noted the way Moody was about to comment, but added, "And don't say a word about present company being included, Mad-Eye."

"I was going to suggest you use your bauble to get a bearing on him. You said it worked to track him before."

"I've tried already, but I get nothing. I don't think he's in the immediate vicinity anymore," said Tonks in frustration. "It's going to take too long to search--"

The sound of a familiar squawk interrupted Tonks and made both Aurors turn their heads up. They repeated an incantation that allowed the creature to be revealed as he swooped down to land beside them.

"Buckbeak!" Tonks was about to run toward him when she remembered herself. She stopped and bowed and noticed Moody was doing the same thing.

The hippogriff landed by the woman he thought of as his Parrot. Buckbeak knew that his Black Dog liked her; she made him smile whenever she would visit. His Werewolf also enjoyed the Parrot's company and would abandon his conversations with Buckbeak if he heard her voice in the house. He returned her bow and wondered if she could help him find his Werewolf. The hippogriff could play roughly with his Werewolf during full moon unlike the more fragile Black Dog or the humans.

"Buckbeak, I need to find Remus Lupin. You know, the Werewolf?" said Tonks. Moody might call her insane, but Sirius always asserted that Buckbeak could understand him.

Buckbeak cocked his head and knelt. He seemed to be looking at her expectantly. Tonks then turned to Moody and said, "I can monitor the moonstone to look for Remus while I ride Buckbeak."

Moody looked at the hippogriff carefully, but his magic eye seemed placid as it fell upon the creature. "It'll be one hell of a joyride, Tonks. Use the standard signals for search and rescue. I'll go back to the Skinner mansion. We might have missed a secret passage."

"Right then," said Tonks as she leapt onto Buckbeak. Before she took off, she turned to Moody and said, "Mad-Eye, I think this witch might be Drusilla Skinner. She was supposed to have died in childbirth 200 hundred years ago."

"Lupin's baby?" asked Moody.

"According to her, Seneca Lupin was the father. It's the source of the feud. There's a room on the third floor with a portrait of her and her mother. Maybe you'll find some clues there that I missed."

Moody merely waved as Buckbeak took to the sky. For a moment he was envious of his young partner. The disillusionment charm soon lost them to his sight.

wwwwwwww

As Lupin began to regain consciousness, he remembered the Raven distracting him from his attack and falling into his own trap. He remained still as he took his bearings. He wasn't tied or shackled, but there was a feeling of danger in this cave. He knew the Raven was perched on an upper ledge watching him intently. What could be the danger here?

The Raven cawed and cocked her head as she noticed the steady breathing of the wolf. It was time to see if Lupin was awake. She transformed into the hag and withdrew her wand from her robes. A flick of her wand rolled away the boulder from her pet's cage. Lupin heard the sound and tensed, especially when the leathery slithering immediately followed.

The Welsh green was described as the least aggressive of dragons, a species that preferred sheep to humans. But like any juvenile creature, inflicting abuse could create a real monster. Lupin crouched into position to leap away from the dragon as it moved toward him. The witch known in her time as Drusilla Skinner cackled in delight as her game began.

wwwwwwww

Tonks knew she had to make a deliberate scan of the island in order to find Lupin. She stopped at the designated intervals to signal to Moody, but her frustration was growing. It had been hours since her ride began, but Lupin was still missing.

"He could be in Ireland for all I know," muttered Tonks to Buckbeak as she indicated another turn.

For his part, Buckbeak seemed to find no burden flying in such a tedious pattern. The fact that he was stretching his wings at all was sufficient to please him. He flew closer to the old copper mines below him when he heard his Parrot yell.

"Wait, go lower. I think I have something," said Tonks. The hippogriff did an elegant swoop in a zigzag pattern and again heard the woman. "He's here somewhere. Let me off, please."

Buckbeak landed and blinked as the Auror slid off him emitting several Ouches along the way. The moonstone in her hand was gleaming now and she pinpointed the direction. After signaling Moody on her find, she turned to Buckbeak. "I need to go, Buckbeak, and you need to get back to Sirius before dawn."

Buckbeak reared his head back, but Tonks insisted. "I'll find your Werewolf and bring him home. Go on."

The hippogriff stepped back and took flight just as Moody apparated to her side. "You've got Lupin?"

"In that cave ahead, I think."

"It's an abandoned copper mine," said Moody. "And there's something alive in there."

"Oh, good, I was so worried we'd be too late--"

"I don't mean Lupin. I mean there's something else, very big, alive in there." The blue eye was practically glowing. "Can't quite make it out. Well, be prepared for the worst, Tonks."

Tonks took a deep breath and nodded. She was an Auror on a mission, not a woman trying to help her--she couldn't even call him her lover. No, tonight she was a Wolf Hunter searching for her partner. The moonstone gleamed as she walked alongside Moody.

They finally got close enough to hear the whimpering voice of the madwoman. "I loved you, Seneca. Why did you use me so badly? I gave myself to you and you laughed at me, Seneca. I was nothing more than a wager you had with your mates."

The wolf in the chamber had many wounds from the regular attacks from the dragon. There were crevices where he could hide momentarily, but he would have been dead if the witch had completely unleashed the dragon. The hag wanted to be amused and so kept the dragon in check. In the meantime, Lupin had sustained a lot of injuries and now felt light headed from the blood loss.

But this time as he looked down, he saw his moonstone glowing softly and looked toward the entry. He was puzzled by the gleam, but knew it could only mean the other moonstone of another Hunter was near.

"Bloody hell, not a dragon! Whatever happened the mission that only called for standard protocols?" muttered Tonks as she and Moody heard the distinctive honk of the dragon.

Moody and Tonks burst onto the scene as they both called in the direction of the dragon, "_Stupefy_!"

The Welsh Green turned from his attack of Lupin and shook his head to look for the new intruders. The Aurors barely had time to defend against the stream of fire that came their way. The hag had finally unleashed her dragon.

Lupin felt a measure of relief and horror at seeing Tonks and Moody in this cavern. He jumped forward to bite into the hind leg of the dragon sharply to give the Aurors time to recover. The Welsh Green kicked back his leg to send the Werewolf against the stone wall in response. The wolf slid down the wall in a stupor.

The Raven now flew in a circle above the fray and landed next to Lupin as the old crone. It would soon be dawn and she wouldn't need any help in killing him. She grabbed the wolf and disapparated with loud crack once again as the Aurors dealt with the dragon.

The sound made the pit of Tonks' stomach turn. "The witch took Lupin!"

"Follow them, Tonks. I'll deal with this overgrown lizard," said Moody.

"Here, use this," called Tonks as she withdrew the werewolf net and expanded it to proper size. Moody caught it with a flick of his wand and sent it soaring over the dragon's head. The odds were much better now.

Tonks looked to her moonstone which was still glowing and turned in a circle. No change! Wait. She held it above her head and the gleam practically filled the cavern. Right above them. She disapparated and hoped she wouldn't land between layers of rock if she miscalculated the distance.

wwwwwwww

Tonks apparated onto the top ledge to find Drusilla Skinner kneeling by the wolf. The first rays of light were upon them now.

Lupin was on all fours shaking off his stupor only to feel the pain of transformation hitting him. He felt the sunlight striking his body and vaguely thought that he was now out of the cavern. He fell onto his stomach because his hours of evading the dragon had spent his energy. The transformation now would leave him weaker than a babe. He and Drusilla remained unaware of Tonks apparation as they focused on the end of their game.

"It had to be this way, Seneca," said the hag as she reached forward and touched Lupin's face while she held her wand on him. "I knew you'd come back. I knew you'd be angry when you found out I killed our baby, your son. I couldn't let you think I was still alive."

"Drusilla, what are you doing?" A woman emerged from the outcroppings and spoke sternly to the hag.

"Mother?" Drusilla seemed confused for a moment, but didn't remove her wand from Lupin.

"Come here right now, Drusilla." Tonks couldn't bear to glance at Lupin. She could see he was still breathing, but there were numerous wounds on his body and lying in the dirt would not be good for his recovery. She had to get Drusilla to aim her wand away from Lupin before she could cast a stupefy spell.

"But, Mother, this is Seneca," said Drusilla, now jabbing the wand into Lupin's neck. "He laughed at me when I told him I loved him."

Her breathing seemed to be coming in sharp gasps now. The energy she had expended had caught up to her, too.

"Then come away from him now, Drusilla. He's not worth your time," said Tonks as she moved closer. She watched as Lupin's hand began moving slowing toward the wand at his neck. "Leave him here, Drusilla, just like he left you. Now let's go home so I can take care of you."

Drusilla blinked at the image of her mother as she felt her vision begin to blur. Then she frowned for a moment as she had trouble creating thought. Mother was never this forgiving. But before she could make the connections, her wand was taken from her grasp and she heard Lupin calling, "_Immobilus_."

The body should have remained frozen in position, but instead, the hag collapsed by his side. Tonks dropped her disguise and practically slid to a halt beside them. Lupin's eyes were closed again, but she heard him ask, "Did I kill her?"

Tonks felt for the pulse at the witch's neck and shook her head. "She was dead before your spell reached her or her body would have remained standing even in death."

Tonks drew off her robe and wrapped Lupin in it as she helped him sit up. He felt so fragile. As she began the incantations to staunch the blood flow, clean the wounds and ease the pain, she blinked back tears. She chided him saying, "You know it's a bunch of hooey about men not crying?"

Lupin could only offer a light smile at her taunt. "I learned not to cry by the time I was seven, Tonks. I'm not quite normal in case you haven't noticed."

Tonks merely touched her forehead to his for a moment and agreed. "Yes, I've noticed."

They heard a sharp crack behind them and turned to see Moody with wafts of smoke drifting from his robe.

"Nasty sneeze on those Greens," he said. Moody looked at the body of Drusilla Skinner and scanned her with his magic eye. "Natural causes, I see. Well, good, I hate having to fill out reports justifying excessive force."

"How are you, Mad-Eye? Can I help?" asked Tonks while she still held an arm around Lupin's shoulders.

"Ach, get away from me. You're no good at household spells, Tonks, and what I need is a good smoke repellant charm." Moody looked at the washed out Lupin and added, "You see to Lupin while I take care of the body. I'm nothing but a delivery boy lately."

"What about the dragon?" asked Tonks.

"Out cold. He'll be safe until I contact the fellows at the preserve. I'll tell the office that you need a few days to recover from the mission. Here, this belongs to Lupin."

Tonks took the metal net from Moody, once a gain shrunken, and leaned into Lupin's ear. "We best get to your house first."

wwwwwww

Fifteen minutes later Lupin still looked very weak as he left his room and walked into the living room. He had showered and dressed, but instead of his usual tweeds, he wore a t-shirt and light slacks under his robes as if heavier clothing would be a burden. He looked around the room to find Tonks standing by the mantle with one hand clutching the moonstone around her neck.

"Don't put it back," said Lupin as he approached her. She looked up in surprise.

"I--I have to. I don't want to, you know," whispered Tonks with a shrug.

Lupin stepped back. Had the recent events convinced Tonks that they should just remain friends? He looked down as he considered all she knew about him now.

The woman had suffered through Dark Wizards, werewolves, a dragon and a crazed Raven on his account. She had seen him turn into a monster, acting like a base creature in his response to the she-wolf let alone the way he had attacked both wolf and dragon. And now he could only present a man with barely the strength to walk. What woman could want him as he was?

"I see," he said softly. He put his hands in his pockets and looked out the window. The sunshine couldn't lighten his mood.

Tonks bit her lip at his silence and forced herself to speak. "I don't want to take an heirloom you're supposed to give to--to your future wife." Not until you're ready, she thought. "I don't want to keep this just because you're feeling grateful that I helped you last night."

Lupin looked at her and frowned. "The amulets aren't love tokens. They've been passed down from father to son, not husband to wife. They were created for the hunt."

He approached her, rather pleased he could remain on his own two feet at the moment and added, "The Wolfshadow amulet marked you as my equal, but I understand if you don't want any reminders of what happened here."

Tonks turned to stare at him. "You know, you have the most bizarre way of making me feel like a person and not a sex object."

He wasn't sure that was a good thing, but didn't know how to respond to her comment. He settled for saying, "Please, keep the amulet safe for me. It claimed you, Nymphadora Tonks."

"All right, I accept custody of the Wolfshadow amulet," agreed Tonks. "You're still rather peaky, Remus. I can apparate us back to London, but you need to rest."

"I don't look forward to Molly's coddling me at Grimmauld Place. I probably won't get much rest with that lot around checking up on me," admitted Lupin.

"Fine, you'll stay with me for a couple of days until you feel better," said Tonks with a firm nod of her head.

Say yes you clueless git, he could almost hear Sirius telling him. Lupin settled for, "Are you sure? I don't want to--"

"Rule number one: don't argue with me. Rule number two: ignore the mess. Rule number three:..."

They apparated at Tonks flat with a loud crack. "...Don't hog the pillows."

Lupin glanced around for a moment then felt himself being lightly tipped over only to land on a firm but comfortable bed. His only problem was the way his feet extended over the edge.

He felt his shoes and socks being removed as Tonks muttered, "You've got boats, Remus."

But she waved her wand so that the bed extended in length and gave another flick of her wand to unwrap his robe so he would sleep comfortably. As Tonks tucked him under the covers, he settled his head against the pillow so generously allocated to him and murmured, "Thank you, Nymphadora."

"Rule number four: don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks noticed the slight quirk to his mouth as she gave her directive.

A few minutes later she stumbled out of the shower into her own t-shirt and pajama pants. She walked into the bedroom to find Remus sleeping on his side, so she crawled on top of the covers and spooned him with an arm wrapping around his waist. She heard him murmur something as he moved his arm so he could clasp her hand.

"What was that?" asked Tonks with half a yawn.

"Better than chocolate," he murmured a bit louder. His steady breathing immediately followed.

Tonks chuckled as she settled comfortably against him. Definitely better than chocolate.

_The End_

Author Notes:

Before you let your imaginations wander, no, Tonks and Lupin still aren't doing the deed yet (hence the description of her sleeping on top of the covers). Remus has some hangups he still needs to deal with.

I wanted to end this story here because it brings the Action/Adventure genre to a close for the moment, but the next one sets up what happens during the recovery and will go back to focusing on Lupin/Tonks interactions.

And, as pointed out, although the Wolfshadow amulets weren't created as love tokens, there's always a first. Lupin still has to figure a few things out, though, and I wanted to establish how Lupin could see Tonks as an equal given how well they seemed to work together when the Advanced Guard retrieves Harry.

The Welsh Green is from the Magical Beasts book. In case it wasn't clear, Drusilla was the witch betrayed by Seneca Lupin. Although I see Lupin as very noble, his ancestors aren't quite up to his standards.

About the homorphus charm. No details are really given, so I made them up, including the incantation.

Thanks for your generous reviews. I hope I was able to keep the characters consistent throughout the story.

If you want to "talk" sometime, I'm currently hanging out at in the Remus/Tonks thread in the forum Under the Invisibility Cloak. It can get lonely. I'll probably be on the David Thewlis Online forum if I get my gumption up.


End file.
